The official blog of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story", an inspiring feature length documentary that shows the real life and struggles of Bill Sackter, who overcame a lifetime of institutionalization to become a great leader for people with disabilities and a friend to many.

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Hi Friends and Bill Sackter Fans!! Now you can watch the full Feature Length version of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" on Amazon Prime. This is the original theatrical version that was voted the #1 Audience Favorite in five consecutive film festivals. Click here: http://amzn.to/2yVKQlD

Please watch the documentary, share the link with your friends and family, and especially LEAVE A REVIEW on Amazon once you've seen it. This will help other Amazon Prime members learn more about the documentary and increases the likelihood that they will watch it, too.You can also get the physical DVD through Amazon as well. The DVD has the feature length version of the documentary as well, along with over 2 hours of extras. It is on sale right now at: http://amzn.to/2zPKLmSTake care,Lane Wyrick, Director/Editor of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story"http://www.BillSackter.comemail: Lane@BillSackter.com

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Hi Friends and Bill Sackter Fans!! In 2014 I launched a successful Kickstarter campaign that allowed me to edit a new version of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" that would fit within the 1 hour time slot for PBS stations.While the new version is shorter than the original, I made sure to give it maximal impact, staying true to the original 90 minute version that is on the DVD. I was able to get this new version broadcast on numerous PBS stations around the country, and I thank all the supporters that contributed to the effort - it is really wonderful to have so many people that believe in the inspirational true story of Bill Sackter.

If you want to see the original 90 minute theatrical version, it is available on DVD at Amazon.com at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6WURF8The DVD version also includes over 2 hours of extras, so if you are a big fan of Bill Sackter's inspirational true story, this will be the best way to experience the documentary. I started this project in 2001, and my main goal has always been to reach as wide of an audience as possible. Thanks again to all of you that have been with me over the last several years. Your interest in helping spread the word about "A Friend Indeed" is greatly appreciated! Sincerely,Lane Wyrick, Director/Editor of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story"http://www.BillSackter.comemail: Lane@BillSackter.com

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Hi Bill Sackter fans!! If you have purchased the DVD of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" any time in the past, it would be very helpful if you could leave an honest customer review on Amazon - this way people around the world can know what you think about the documentary and Bill Sackter, and whether or not "A Friend Indeed" is worth watching.Just go to:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6WURF8and scroll down to click on "Write a Customer Review".

You can write just a sentence or two, or take your time and leave a more detailed review. You can also leave a video review as well where you talk about what you think about the documentary. Even if you purchased the DVD at a screening or somewhere else instead of Amazon you can still write an Amazon review (as long as you have purchased anything on Amazon).Thanks so much for being a great supporter of "A Friend Indeed" - this will make a huge and long lasting impact on having the documentary reach a wider audience and is very appreciated!!!Sincerely,Lane Wyrick, Director/Editor of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story"http://www.BillSackter.comemail: Lane@BillSackter.com

Thursday, February 26, 2015

It's been exactly 1 year since my Kickstarter campaign to get my inspirational documentary "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" on PBS stations around the country was successful, and this wonderful story of friendship and compassion has been shown on an ever growing number of PBS stations.

Thanks to the initial efforts of station relations professional Joan Lence, and now an upswell of viewer enthusiasm, it is being shown in regions throughout the United States.

Has "A Friend Indeed" been aired on your PBS station?

If not, please call your local PBS station and ask for their program director - share your enthusiasm for this documentary with them, and let them know that you would like it to be shown. It's amazing how effective this is. For instance, it only took one enthusiastic viewer in Oregon to get the documentary on their PBS's radar, and now they have shown it several times.

"A Friend Indeed" is being offered for free through the NETA organization, so any PBS station can show it over the next 3 years at no charge. They just need to know it's available.

I will continue to get the word out as well to PBS stations, disability groups, and the general public, and also hope to have public screenings of the feature length version on Deluxe Edition DVD as well, which is available here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6WURF8

Thanks again for your support - I couldn't have done this without your generosity!!!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Hi fans of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story",Great news! The documentary is being shown on PBS stations around the nation. You can see a current listing by visiting our Facebook fan page at http://www.Facebook.com/BillSackter - please "Like" us if you haven't already . If "A Friend Indeed" is not showing in your area yet, please make sure to call or email your local PBS station to let them know you'd like it to be shown. This hour long version of "A Friend Indeed" is very powerful and would be great to have shown in your community (the 90 version and 2 hours of extras is on the DVD).Also, if you supported our successful Kickstarter campaign, some of your rewards are on the way! The newly remastered Deluxe Edition DVD, photos signed by Barry Morrow, and the new 18"x24" poster will be coming soon. If you'd like to purchase the new DVD it's available now at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6WURF8

Wednesday, July 02, 2014

Hi friends and fans of "A Friend Indeed",I wanted to let you know that "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" is now finally being broadcast on PBS stations around the country thanks to all of the support I received during my Kickstarter campaign this Spring, with many airings already starting this week! I thought I'd share the first 8 minutes of the documentary in this video below. Please feel free to pass this post along to your friends, and encourage them to find out if the documentary is playing on their PBS station!

The hour long television version was offered by satellite uplink to all 273 PBS stations across the nation on June 28, and any PBS station that recorded that transmission from NETA can broadcast this inspiring documentary as much as they want for free over the next 3 years. Will "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" be playing in your area? Please contact your local PBS station to find out.Thanks again for your support!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

My Kickstarter campaign for "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" was just successfully funded! Now I will be able to offer this inspirational documentary to PBS stations across the nation!Here's the Kickstarter site: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lane-wyrick/a-friend-indeed-the-bill-sackter-story-tv-broadcasThanks to all of you who pledged your support for the project - it is greatly appreciated!!!Sincerely,Lane Wyrick, Director/Editor of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story"

P.S. If you'd still like to contribute, you can send a check to: Lane Wyrick Productions, PO Box 27654, St. Louis, MO 63146 - I will also be giving out the same rewards as in the Kickstarter campaign unless you indicate "no reward" - Thanks - Lane

Saturday, February 22, 2014

THIS IS IT!!! Sunday is the final day for the Kickstarter campaign to get "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" out to PBS stations around the country. If you haven't pledged already, WE NEED YOU TO PLEDGE NOW!!!

THIS WILL REALLY BE YOUR LAST CHANCE TO JOIN OUR EFFORT - the campaign ends tonight (Sunday) at 10 p.m. Central. I look forward to having you join our large list of supporters - with your help this will be a success and the documentary can be shared with thousands of viewers around the nation!After you've made your pledge, please tune in to the Kickstarter site tonight (Sunday) at around 9:45 p.m. Central to see the final tally - I'm confident we're going to make it, with your help!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Hi Everyone,

While the main purpose of this Kickstarter campaign is to get “A Friend Indeed” on PBS stations around the country, I also have some great news about the Newly Remastered Deluxe Edition DVD of “A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story” that will be made possible if we reach the funding goal by this Sunday at 10 p.m.

DELUXE EDITION DVD WILL INCLUDE PUBLIC PERFORMANCE RIGHTS

This new version of the DVD will include Public Performance Rights, so if you pledge $35 or more you will be the first to receive the new DVD, and not only will you be able to enjoy "A Friend Indeed" at home, but you can also choose to host your own free public screening events or use the documentary in a classroom setting! I've decided to eliminated the previous "Home Use Only" restriction to allow individuals, organizations, and teachers the ability to share the DVD and all of the extras with audiences of any size (as long as your events are for free admission).

NOW IN PURE WIDESCREEN

Originally the DVD was in a “letterboxed” version, but with the proliferation of widescreen TVs and computer monitors, I felt that this would be a good time to change it to a pure widescreen version that will properly fit our most common viewing devices. Now you won’t have to “scale” the picture to eliminate the black bars on top and bottom. It will just work and look great!

OVER TWO HOURS OF EXTRAS

There are over two hours of extras on the Deluxe Edition DVD, from scenes that were cut from the documentary to short vignettes about a variety of topics that will greatly enhance your viewing experience.

Here’s a listing of what is included on the Deluxe Edition DVD:

The Full Award-Winning 90 minute Theatrical Version of "A Friend Indeed"

An Insightful Director’s Commentary Track

Lots of Additional Footage of Bill & Friends

New Interviews, Deleted Scenes, & Audio recordings

The World Premiere Event at Hancher Auditorium

Behind the Scenes Orchestra Recording in Seattle

Theatrical Trailer, Biographical Information ...and more

YOUR NAME WILL BE ON THE DVD

If you pledge $35 or more (even if you select “No Reward”), your name will appear in a special Kickstarter “Thank You” section in the extras on the DVD, so you can show others that you were part of the effort to greatly expand the audience for “A Friend Indeed”.

SIGNED BY THE FILMMAKER

I will be signing your individual copy of the DVD. I am very thankful for your willingness to make a pledge to help spread the inspirational story of Bill Sackter to many appreciative viewers around the country!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

If you haven’t made your pledge towards our Kickstarter campaign yet, now is the time. We are in the FINAL 7 DAYS of the process and your pledge could mean the difference between having “A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story” shared with thousands of viewers across the nation, or just having it sit on a shelf indefinitely. So I would greatly appreciate your support at this time!

We must meet the Kickstarter funding goal of $15,000 by next Sunday February 23 at 10 p.m., or the project receives $0, so your pledge of any amount could determine the fate of this inspirational documentary. And with your pledge $1 or more you can receive some nice unique rewards for your participation (see the righthand column of the Kickstarter website for reward details).

If ONE OR MORE ITEMS from the following list applies to you, then you should definitely consider helping our efforts:

You’ve seen “A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story”, and would like it to be shared with viewers around the country

You remember the 1981 Mickey Rooney television movie “Bill” and would like to support this documentary about the real Bill Sackter

You care about how our society views and treats people with disabilities

You would like to support a 100% independently produced documentary that demonstrates the power of human compassion

You have at least $1 you can spare to help spread a positive message to thousands of viewers across the United States

Remember, the campaign ends next Sunday February 23 at 10 p.m. Central, so please make a pledge today and invite your family, friends, and social network to pledge as well. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to see you amongst our ever-growing list of people that have all pledged support to make this effort a success!

P.S. If you would prefer to make a contribution by check, please make it payable to “Lane Wyrick Productions” and mail it to:

Lane Wyrick Productions

P.O. Box 27654

St. Louis, MO 63146

USA

Upon receipt, I will mail you a confirmation postcard, and after our funding goal is reached you will receive your reward(s) based on your contribution amount (unless you indicate “No Reward” in the memo section of your check).

Saturday, February 08, 2014

There are only TWO WEEKS LEFT in our Kickstarter campaign to get "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" out to PBS stations across the nation.

You can help this wonderful film finally reach a nationwide audience by joining the Kickstarter campaign TODAY. You can pledge as little as $1 and you will be a vital part of the campaign, or pledge more and receive rewards based on the documentary.

If we don't meet the funding goal by February 23, then the project gets $0 towards this wonderful opportunity, so PLEASE PLEDGE TODAY and let your family, friends and social network to know about this effort as well.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Hi Fans of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" - I just launched my Kickstarter campaign to help make it possible to get this inspiring documentary out to PBS television stations around the country.

As fans of "A Friend Indeed", you are the first to know about this launch which happened just minutes ago. Please share this post with your Facebook friends so we can get the word out. This campaign is running for a limited time, so make sure you check it out today.

I hope you'll join in the effort to share this inspiring true story with the rest of the world!!!

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

I'm just a few days from beginning a Kickstarter campaign to help get "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" broadcast on PBS stations across the nation....STAY TUNED - I'll post an update when the KS site is live!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Friday Night (June 14) at 9 p.m., Iowa Public Television will rebroadcast "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story". So make an evening of it with your family and friends, grab some popcorn and a box of Kleenex and start the weekend out right!

I've received a lot of positive feedback from the Tuesday broadcast of this 60 minute television version - I was the only one who had seen this "edited for television" version until Tuesday, so for those of you that saw it, I hope you liked it - please post your comments and let others know about it.

The 90 minute theatrical version is now available on DVD exclusively at Amazon.com, and it has over two hours of extras as well, so if you like the 60 minute tv version, getting the Deluxe Edition DVD will give you the full experience of the inspiring story of Bill Sackter. - Enjoy, Lane Wyrick (director/editor)

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Tonight - Tuesday June 11 at 8 p.m. - "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" will be screening on Iowa Public Television. I hope those of you in Iowa can see it! It will also be screened this Friday June 14 at 9 p.m.

This is the newly edited hour long version of "A Friend Indeed" . You can find out more at http://www.BillSackter.com/ - the DVD with the 90 minute version of the doc and two hours of extras is also available there.If you see the documentary, please post your reaction on the Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/billsackter

Saturday, June 01, 2013

"A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story", an inspiring documentary about famous Iowan Bill Sackter will have its broadcast debut on Iowa Public Television. Airing Tuesday June 11 at 8 pm and Friday June 14 at 9 p.m., "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" will be seen for the first time in the new 60 minute television version on the main Iowa Public Television channel.Voted the #1 Audience Favorite in 5 consecutive film festivals, "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" explores the unlikely real-life friendship between Bill Sackter (who was abandoned in an institution for 44 years for mild mental retardation), and Barry Morrow (a young idealistic college student who became Bill's legal guardian to keep Bill out of the institution), and how their relationship and Bill's unique embrace of life allowed Bill to become an internationally known hero for people with disabilities.

Many Iowans remember the made-for-tv drama "Bill" (1981) starring Mickey Rooney and Dennis Quaid that portrayed the events in Bill and Barry's life. This new engaging documentary "A Friend Indeed" explores the real Bill Sackter through actual film/video footage and photographs of Bill himself and interviews with those closest to him, told in a very entertaining and engaging way. It is an entirely new experience that has been praised for its faithful portrayal of the real Bill by those closest to him.

This June marks 30 years since Bill's passing, and his impact continues to resonate especially in Iowa City where he became famous as the proprietor of Wild Bill's Coffee Shop on the University of Iowa campus, with the help of Barry Morrow, Tom Walz and many other people in the community.

Filmmaker Lane Wyrick spent 7 years researching, interviewing and digging through a "treasure trove" of archival footage to bring the documentary to the big screen. "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" had the debut of the theatrical 90 minute version at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City to a crowd of nearly 1200 in June of 2008. Since then it has been screened around the nation, won numerous awards, and has developed loyal fan base, and recently the theatrical version of "A Friend Indeed" was released on a special edition DVD on Amazon.com.

Wyrick wanted to make sure that the new 60 minute television version of the documentary retained the same impact of the original 90 minute documentary while fitting into television broadcast specifications. "Editing out nearly a third of the documentary while retaining the same level of inspiration in the documentary was a difficult challenge, but I am very happy with the results. Being on television will definitely increase the audience and spread the impact of the documentary, and the DVD is also available for viewers that enjoy the story and want to enhance their experience with the full length documentary and lots of extra footage as well."

The official website, http://www.BillSackter.com/, includes in-depth background information, the video trailer, photos, information about the DVD, and in-depth coverage of this amazing real life story that changed the way our society views people with disabilities.

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Check out the inaugural post of my brand new video blog series. This first video announces the completion of the television edit of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" for broadcast on Iowa Public Television and other Public Television Stations around the country.

Very soon I will be giving you tips on how you can help by encouraging your local PBS provider to broadcast "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" in your area...stay tuned for further information on how to do this, and for more video blog updates.

Thanks for being a fan of "A Friend Indeed", and please comment on the video...All the best - Lane Wyrick

About Me

I graduated from Film School at the University of Iowa in 1990, then spent four years learning the craft of professional production in Los Angeles. I then returned to my hometown of Iowa City in 1995 to form Xap Interactive Inc., to create original, inspired productions including feature length documentaries & films, as well as other all digital productions. My three most important productions to date are: "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story", "XapVision Nature Scenes" and "The Nazi Drawings Documentary". I am now working full-time as a medical videographer in St. Louis while continuing to search for distribution avenues for these three productions.